Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce is a classic casserole dish made with your favorite marinara sauce, ground beef, Ricotta and Mozzarella cheeses.
Baked Ziti is one of those meals that I usually only make when hosting a crowd for holidays or parties. It's so easy to make, I'm not quite sure why I don't make it more often during the week!
Recently, I had purchased some ricotta cheese to make this Beef Ricotta Casserole, but later changed my mind when I had a few containers of sauce in the freezer I wanted to use up before making a new pot.
I was going to make lasagna when I realized I really needed to update this post from 2011; which is when I first shared this recipe. The picture was horrible and the recipe is so good I couldn't resist.
What is Baked Ziti?
Baked ziti or pasta al forno is a popular Italian-American casserole dish made with ziti pasta, cheeses and a Neapolitan-style marinara sauce.
The pasta is first boiled; then tossed with egg, cheeses, sauce and seasonings before being baked until golden brown.
Suggested Equipment
- Large Pot
- Medium Pot
- Colander
- Large Nonstick Skillet
- Wooden Spoon
- Mixing Bowl
- Oven Safe Casserole Dish (9x13)
Ingredients
- extra lean ground beef
- extra virgin olive oil
- prepared marinara sauce
- ziti pasta
- ricotta cheese
- mozzarella cheese
- egg
- parsley
- garlic powder
- kosher salt
- black pepper
You can use your favorite sauce whether it's homemade or store bought, and also substitute lower fat cheeses in this recipe.
Cook the Ziti Pasta
Add water to large pot, sprinkle some salt, bring to a boil over high heat; then add the ziti. Cook the pasta according to package directions, removing while the pasta is still somewhat firm.
Drain the pasta in a colander; then add back into the pot. You don't want to cook it all the way because the sauce and cheese mixture will cook the pasta even further.
Make the Meat Sauce
While the pasta is cooking, add the ground beef to the skillet with a little olive oil and brown 5-7 minutes until the meat is no longer pink. Next, add the marinara sauce and simmer on low for 10 minutes.
Mix the cheese
In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add this mixture along with the meat sauce to the pasta in the pot; mix well.
Assemble the Baked Ziti
Place the pasta mixture in an oven safe baking dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and bake at 425 degrees F 15-20 minutes until the cheese has melted and it is heated through.
We prefer our baked ziti and lasagna with a meat sauce, but you can make it using ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork, sausage or even leave out the meat entirely.
Can you freeze Baked Ziti?
Yes! You can make baked ziti up to 3 months ahead of time and freeze until you're ready to bake and serve.
Prepare the recipe up until it's time to bake; then wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze.
Remove the pan from the freezer and allow to defrost in the refrigerator completely for 1-2 days before cooking as instructed.
You can also freeze cooked baked ziti in individual airtight containers once cooked; then reheat in an oven safe dish or in the microwave.
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More Pasta Dishes
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Baked Ziti with Meat Sauce
Equipment
- Oven Safe Casserole Dish (9x13)
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cups Prepared Marinara Sauce
- 1 pound ziti pasta
- 1- (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon parsley
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese; divided
Instructions
- Add water to large pot, sprinkle some salt, bring to a boil over high heat; then add the ziti. Cook the pasta according to package directions, removing while the pasta is still somewhat firm.
- Drain the pasta in a colander; then add back into the pot. (You don't want to cook it all the way because the sauce and cheese mixture will cook the pasta even further).
- While the pasta is cooking, add the ground beef and olive oil to the skillet and brown 5-7 minutes until the meat is no longer pink.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Next, add the marinara sauce and simmer on low for 10 minutes. You can use your favorite sauce whether it's homemade or store bought.
- In a bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, garlic powder, salt, pepper, parsley and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Add this mixture along with the meat sauce to the pasta in the pot; mix well.
- Place the pasta mixture in an oven safe baking dish, sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese has melted and it is heated through.
Nutrition
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Pat says
Where does the olive oil go? I see it’s called for but never used.
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I apologize for that. You can add the olive oil to the pan to heat before browning the ground beef. Since I use extra lean meat it helps add a little fat to the meat. If using 80/20 you can omit the olive oil as the meat will produce enough fat on its own.
Donna says
Took this to a potluck, they loved it but next time I will add more sauce as it tended to dry out sitting.
Simone says
Thank you for this recipe! It’s hard to find truly delicious, simple recipes. I LOVE that this can be done with ingredients you pick up at the store, in the quantities that are common (ex. 1 lb beef, 15 oz ricotta). My veggie hating husband also appreciates that there is no additional chopped onion. I was a little hesitant about mixing everything together, as I’ve always layered ingredients in baked ziti before, but decided to give it a try. I added a little shredded Parmesan to the ricotta filling (about 1/2 cup), but otherwise followed exactly using a favorite jar of marinara. Based on pre-baking tasting, this will be a keeper!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
I hope you liked the recipe, thank you for giving it a try!
Carrie says
Total deliciousness. I'm on vacation next week and seriously thinking I might do something in the kitchen!
This looks great.
LB @ Bullets And Biscuits says
Yes! This is one of my favorite meals too. The cheesier the better 😉
Melissa Placzek says
OOOHHHH!!! This sounds awesome! Can't wait to try it!
xoxo,
Melissa
http://www.ChinDeep.com